KHON KAEN — A well-known local couple have been accused of running an elaborate job scam that swindled 28 people out of more than 20 million baht.

The victims on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Khon Kaen provincial Dhamrongdhama Centre seeking legal action against a man they named only as Mr Sak, a former teacher, and his wife who teaches at Phayakkhaphum Phisai district in Maha Sarakham province.

The complaint alleged the couple duped them into believing there were many job openings at the Electricity Generating Authority power plant in Nonthaburit’s Bang Kruai district and they would get their children positions using their connections to influential people. The candidates were scheduled to start work in November last year.

Pongpoj Boonmeewiset, 63, a retired civil servant, said the couple demanded 650,000 to 750,000 baht for general positions and 750,000 to 900,000 baht for engineering positons as administration fees.

They claimed the jobs at the power plant paid between 18,000 and 200,000 baht, plus free accommodation, medical and life insurance and other benefits.

The couple organised a workshop to train the potential workers and even measured them for tailored uniforms as part of the ruse.

Mr Pongpoj said the couple later told him and other victims they could not send anyone to work at the state enterprise. They made contracts to return the money but later on no one was able to contact them.

Most of the victims were teachers who knew the suspects or their relatives. Some of them had known the couple for 20 years, Mr Pongpoj added.

It's never good that people lose money, but you also have to understand that these people that got involved were being greedy and taking a risk......not much different than the stock market. You can't take a chance/gamble on something and then get upset if it goes south......you gambled. Sure, put the scammers in jail...but the victims, well....hmmmmm. You were victims of your greed and lack of judgement imo. Might sound harsh...but the truth is always that.